Burn
by Sen Kotoba
Summary: As Alvin and Jude find, there are four stages to burning.
1. Smolder

Sometimes, Alvin just knew right away when a job would be easier than others. He could look around, see what was going on, and just know. When his latest job included pretending to save and follow until he got paid a woman so sheltered that she literally knew the world from books and was so caught up in her own problems she barely noticed anything else and a teen boy so pale and thin he barely looked like he could fight and passed out as soon as he was safe on the boat for Aladhi Seahaven, well. If he was on this job long enough that the next time he visited Xian Du his mother realized that nice man that knew a lot about her son was gone, he'd be surprised.

The kid did look pretty bad, though. Flushed, and breathing heavily in his sleep. Curious, Alvin pulled off a glove and pressed two fingers against almost visible pulse in his throat, frowning as he felt the rapid beat and scorching heat against his skin. Geez, the kid better not better not be sick. The sun probably wasn't helping, hot and bright enough to make even him feel a little dizzy. "Yo," he called out to Maxwell, watching her turn slightly towards him. "Think you want to get below deck?" He picked up the lithe unconscious body, nodding towards the stairs down.

Her eyes raked over them, calculating. That wasn't good. Maybe she wasn't so spacey she'd be completely blind to the fire that burned inside him. "Yes, of course," she said finally in her stern, almost distant voice. She swept past him, seeming to barely give thought to Jude's predicament. What was actually going on in her head... it was anyone's guess. Her reactions were so otherworldly that it made it hard to read and anticipate. This woman could be more danger than he originally thought, if he couldn't figure out what she knew and what was still hidden.

Maybe... it might be better to put her down now. It might save his own skin later on.

It wasn't until they were beneath deck that Jude started to rouse, opening glassy eyes and looking up at him before screwing them shut again. Great. The kid did have a fever. Just his luck that the one that got sick was the medical student. "Where am I...?" came his distant voice, strangely just weak. One would think if he was sick, his voice would sound a lot rougher. His eyes cracked open, a slit of gold as his head turned, looking. "A ship? What-" His eyes opened wide as strength returned to his voice, his gaze sharpening as memories started to return. "I'm a criminal," he whispered.

And there it was. Alvin suppressed a sigh as Jude shifted in his arms, moving to put him down. He really was an honors student, horrified at the thought he had done something catastrophically wrong. At least teenage boys were easy enough to read and manipulate, unlike supposed Lord of Spirits in the shape of a beautiful woman. If all else failed, short of killing both of them, he could always sleep with the kid and use that to turn him against Maxwell.

* * *

Elize was a little cutie, and even Alvin wasn't immune to her charms. He could do without the floating doll, and why Maxwell hadn't set the damned thing on fire yet was a mystery to them all. Then again, considering it wasn't an active threat to her or her mission, she probably didn't care about it. Or maybe she had fallen prey to Elize's cute face too, who knew.

Jude wasn't immune either. It shouldn't have surprised Alvin as much as it did that he was as good as he was with kids. Elize seemed to have attached herself immediately to him, silently holding onto his arm as they exited the Sapstrath Highroad into Sharilton. If he hadn't been looking at that exact moment, he would have missed the moment when Jude shifted so his slim hand took her tiny one. It was so cute he felt his teeth rotting and his heart lurching.

Somehow, Jude still hadn't managed to completely shake whatever it was. He seemed better at night, without the hot sun beating down on him, but it still came in waves. Never as bad as the first time on the boat, though. Alvin would never let him live down fainting again. A part of him made him wonder if it was contagious. There were a few mornings where he woke up feeling worse than when he fell asleep a few times, almost dizzy on standing or under the hot sun. The feeling persisted throughout the day, but never overwhelming him. Thankfully.

The kids had fallen behind. Alvin turned to look, seeing Jude kneeling before the young girl as she whispered shyly in his ear. A long stretch of neck revealed itself as he bent his head towards her, and Alvin found himself beating down the urge to walk over and pull the collar down the rest of the way, press his lips against the pulse just barely hidden there. No, right now wouldn't be the appropriate time. Jude turned to look up at him, and for a brief bizarre moment, Alvin had a feeling that those gold eyes saw past him, past the barriers barely holding himself together. Kid already proved he was more perceptive than he originally thought, at least when it came to battles. If he saw through him, Alvin had no doubts he'd be able to take him in a battle, but oh boy would he rather not want to do that.

Instead, Jude kept a hold of Elize's hand as he stood, coming over to him so he could say in a low voice, "Elize isn't feeling well. We're going to go on ahead to the inn so she can get some rest, okay?"

Elize pressed her pale face into Jude's leg when Alvin looked at her, still shy. "Fine by me," he said breezily, affecting a carefree tone. It'd give him time to send message by sylphjay and talk with the Lord of Sharilton. There were enough sides he'd be able to play here that would be able to advance his own plans. "Though you might want to run it by Milla first so she knows where you ran off to."

The relieved smile he gave the older man wormed its way under the carefree mask, sticking uncomfortably with him as Jude went to tell Maxwell where he and the little cutie were going. She was talking to someone, a familiar looking woman of noble bearing and gentle demeanor- oh ho. If he was right, that was definitely the sister of the Lord of Sharilton. Alvin had to admit, sometimes Maxwell did make his work easier for him. It was impressive just how easily she did it too. If he could just predict when that was going to happen, or figure out just how much she knew about Exodus and Elympios...

* * *

What was he doing? Alvin listened to the sounds of Xian Du bustling outside as he stared up at the ceiling. What was he doing back here, with them? Everything was falling in the wrong order, tumbling in a way that felt out of control. Not here, not so close to all the memories and the king of Auj Oule and with Milla- Maxwell finally revealing she knew, she knew he was Exodus. If she knew that, what else did she know? Did she know what she had done, and what Exodus was trying to do to her? Why they were after her, what their true goal was? Did she even know what the Lance of Kresnikwas?

With a subvocal snarl, he rolled over. It didn't matter. They were going to fight in that silly colosseum to win the rights to use the wyverns, and if he got the timing right, when they actually got back to Rashugal, his other plans would be falling into place. They would be out of Auj Oule soon, out of Xian Du, out of a place that stank of frantic memories and a rapport of a gun too loud for any child to hear.

Sheets on one of the other beds in the room shifted and Alvin looked up, equal parts curious and paranoid. Jude may have forgiven him far too easily, but that didn't preclude Rowen from deciding he was too much of a threat and offing him here. It was nice to have the Conductor on his side, but he knew it was a double edged sword - Rowen, at any time, could come to the conclusion that Alvin was more trouble than he was worth and leave his cooling body where it would never be found. Though, with every passing moment, the chances of it happening were less. If he hadn't done it yet, even after blatantly betraying them constantly, he should be safe.

For a moment, he couldn't quite make out what was going on. Alvin lifted his head slightly, almost amused once he saw clearly what was going on. Jude had climbed into Rowen's bed, and started to shift his weight so he straddled the older man. The kid leaned in once he was situated, eyes half closed over those golden eyes as his lips parted ever so slightly, showing a hint of white teeth. Interesting. Alvin had long since suspected the kid at least was interested in trying out both genders, and the declaration that it wouldn't have mattered to him if Mill- Maxwell, damnit - was male sealed the deal for him. And he had gotten the feeling Jude liked at least older women, and could be persuaded to try out his curiosity on older guys too. But that much older? Kid still surprised him.

Jude snapped his head up at the sound of Alvin moving, his pale cheeks staining red as he whipped around to stare at him, wide eyed. Ah, still embarrassed about his preferences. Alvin watched, almost fascinated as the almost feverish blush crept across his skin in blotchy patches, almost crawling down his throat in a very fetching way. Almost made him want to grab him and trace it with tongue and teeth-

Which was when Jude threw himself off Rowen and marched out of the room, avoiding meeting Alvin's eyes. Now he just felt like a heel. It was number one in the handbook: Thou shalt not cockblock. And with a kid like Jude just now figuring out what he liked and easily shamed into what people think he should like... this could set things back pretty far for his plans too. Though now, when he tried to figure out what those plans were, outside going home... he had nothing.

Nothing but the idea of seeing more of those golden eyes.

* * *

The night clime in Fennmont never got less beautiful, nor less creepy. It was a gilded sort of loveliness, painted gold over an infection from inside. Every place Alvin looked, he could see someone from Auj Oule or Exodus, eating the pretty mask from the inside out. And with Nachtigal now assassinated before their eyes, things would just get worse. He shouldn't care about this, not with the Lance so close to being used. Not with the chance of going home so near that he could taste it. He shouldn't care anymore about Auj Oule and Rashugal and the fate of Rieze Maxia...

But he just couldn't. Not with those gold eyes, looking so thoughtful, so pained.

At least during the fights against Agria and Nachtigal, Jude had seemed the healthiest he had ever been. It had surprised even Milla, just how strong and fast the kid could be when he felt well. Alvin wondered if he had even gotten hit, considering how much he was abusing snap pivot. Any upcoming fights would be easy with him and Milla around, especially with how well the two of them worked when linked. If he didn't know better, Alvin would have sworn that Jude and Milla were born for each other.

If he was sappy and sentimental that way.

"Alvin." Milla's voice cut through his thoughts. He turned, idly noting her exasperated and worried expression. "Have you seen Jude?"

He felt an eyebrow creep upward towards his hairline. There were some people he expected to be distracted by Fennmont, especially after what had just happened. He would have expected to hear Rowen had disappeared, trying to rebuild after his friend had been killed by an unknown assailant. Definitely not Jude, not the boy following the Lord of the Spirits around with wide eyes and fierce fists. "Nope. You check the Medical School?" The last time he had seen Jude, he had been pouring through texts at his old school, absently promising he'd be at the entrance to Arklund Quag when they were ready to make their assault on Fezebel Marsh. Milla put a hand to her mouth as she thought, her hips swaying in that way that still drew Alvin's eyes lower. She may be Maxwell, but he was still male and she was still very, very attractive. And... he just couldn't summon the same fire as before, not after getting to know her. "Hey, look, I'll go check it out. Promise, that's all I'm going to go do." There was nothing at Talim Medical School he needed to pass along anyway. Enough active spies had infiltrated there.

Crimson eyes studied him as the hand at her mouth came to her hip, almost threateningly close to her sword. While he could take her in a straight physical fight, he knew, it wouldn't be purely physical. The damned woman and her mana, able to cast as easily as breathing. She would set him on fire, encase him in earth, suffocate him with air, and drown him before running him through. And at the same time... the part that hurt the worst was the utter distrust in her eyes. When had he come to think so much of Milla's trust?

... when had he come to start thinking of her as Milla instead of Maxwell?

Finally, she crossed her arms. "I'm putting my trust in you, Alvin," she told him, the words more a threat than encouragement. Warning him that if he betrayed them one more time, that if he left not to gather Jude, she would set him on fire before gutting him. Some part of him cynically told him that maybe he should let Milla do it anyway. He pushed it down, ignoring the new sharp edges it created and turned from her, raising a hand lazily as he left.

Where he expected to find Jude was not where he had actually parked his ass. There were plenty of people milling about that needed help, exactly where one would think to find an honor's student like Jude Mathis. But he walked past several patients groaning in pain, some in so much agony they could barely make a noise as they waited for a doctor to be free. Something like this he would expect to see in Elympios, where mana was unusable except via spyrixes. Here, where mana lobes could shift mana however they wanted, couldn't they fix illness and injury much faster? But... a bitter laugh spilled from his lips. Mana lobes couldn't fix everything. Jude's big mana lobe and medical knowledge couldn't fix Milla's legs. Alvin closed his eyes, hand on a door knob. It would have made things so easy if Milla had stopped there. If she had gotten out of their way. Alvin felt his heart clench at the thought, at the idea of Milla confined to Driselle's bed, unable to walk. That wouldn't have been Milla, and Jude would have never allowed it. And he didn't.

Alvin shook his head. Enough. They had to get to Fezebel Marsh, and these thoughts weren't helping. A quick peek in confirmed it was a small examination room, and there was someone in it. An apology sprung smoothly to his lips before he realized most of the lights were turned off, and the one that was still on illuminated a familiar face, lashes closed over those golden eyes. Jude's hands lay still on an open book in front of him, while several others stacked next to him. After a moment, he stirred, opening his eyes and looking up at the ceiling without seeing it. Everything the kid was doing- Alvin opened his mouth, feeling the words escape with a dry click. "Getting caught up in studies, honors student?"

The kid was acting like he had just received bad news.

Jude jumped at the sound of Alvin's voice, obviously having been so deep in what he was reading and his thoughts that he didn't hear him open the door. His eyes darted around, looking for the others, and only seemed to get more frantic where they didn't catch sight of Milla or anyone else. "A-alvin," he finally squeaked out, shutting the book he was reading but not yet standing. "What's wrong?"

"Milla's wondering where you are." Alvin stepped in, not yet closing the door behind him. Something about the fact that it was him made Jude nervous, and right now that wasn't what he wanted. "Guess she's getting antsy about the Lance and wanting to make her move."

Jude made a soft noise, looking away. He still didn't stand, still not quite looking at him. Worry started to creep into Alvin's mind as he came around the desk, tossing an arm around the boy's shoulders. A usual gesture, repeated after countless battles and meaning nothing. But as soon as his arm touched Jude, he felt him tense and panicked hands push at him. "G-get away!"

Alvin backed up, his hands lifting peaceably. "Whoa there. Owch, that hurt the ego." He watched as Jude didn't even glance at him, instead wrapping his arms around himself. What had he been reading? "I'm not going to hurt you. Hell, not like this. Got no reason." For some reason, that made the kid curl up even more, his eyes trained steadfastly in front of him. "C'mon. Milla's probably about ready to storm the school herself." He turned to leave, pausing when he didn't hear Jude stand. "What's up?"

"Alvin..." There was a long pause as he turned back around, looking at Jude. Finally, those honest and open gold eyes looked right at him, the pain and confusion clear. "I think... this is where we part ways. I'm going to stay in Fennmont."

What.

"What?"


	2. Blaze

The words hung in the air as Jude finally stood, not quite looking at Alvin yet. They made the silence heavy, ringing with just how wrong they were. Alvin opened his mouth, trying to figure out exactly how to go about explaining why this was a bad idea, no, he shouldn't stay in Fennmont as the kid straightened the stack he had been studying and started to pick it up. "Hey," he finally said, shattering the silence with the quiet word. "What happened to all that resolve? What happened to you not leaving Milla's side?"

One of the books fell off the top of the stack, opening to a random page as it hit the floor. Alvin picked it up, his eyes scanning the page reflexively. _'Subject shows signs of deterioration. Like the others, subject's temperature is spiking and shows no signs of-'_ Just as he started to get to the juicy part, Jude snatched it away from him. "You-" The kid's voice faltered on the word, and he wet his lips to try again. "You should go, Alvin."

His hand was trembling on the cover. Alvin just noticed that. "I don't think so." When had he changed, he marveled as Jude looked up at him sharply. Before, he would have just shrugged and left the kid to mope for whatever it was. What had changed? "Hey, look, whatever it is can't be that bad. We'll get through it like we always do and you can be back to making doe eyes at your Lord of Spirits in no time."

When did it start to hurt to say those words?

"Milla..." Jude trailed off briefly, then closed his eyes, shaking his head. "No." He pinned Alvin with a fiery golden glare, resolve starting to pass into his eyes. "It's for the best. Believe me, Alvin. I can't be anywhere near you anymore."

"Huh." The words stung worse than anything said before. So he had finally gotten it. The kid had finally grown up and was no longer forgiving Alvin for betraying them so often. "If it was like that, you could have told me to fuck off instead. Didn't have to stay in Fennmont and let your lady go unattended."

"That's not-!" Jude looked at him with wide frustrated eyes. "Please, Alvin. Go- go save the world with Milla instead of me. It's better that it's you instead of me, I promise."

Alvin gave him a measured look, trying to figure it out. This really wasn't anything like Jude at all. What was scaring him so much that he was going to stay behind instead of rush foolishly into danger like usual? Finally, he raised his hands, shrugging. "Guess there's no helping it. Milla's going to be disappointed, you know."

"I know." His voice was quiet, reflective. "I'm sorry, Alvin."

"Yeah." Alvin matched his tone as he turned, every part of him screaming to grab the kid and march back to Milla with him over his shoulder. "See you around." With those words, he opened the door again and left. It was wrong. This shouldn't be how it went. It needed to be a triumphant march with all of them, not like this. Not this unexplained loss. Boots filled his field of vision, and he followed the lovely vision up a shapely body to Milla's unimpressed mien. "He's not coming."

Her burning eyes flicked past him towards the still open door he had exited, then back at him. Sometimes he wondered just how much of human behavior she understood, but he knew this was a moment that was new to her. Pain simmered in her surprised eyes, echoed in a suppressed part of him. Then, it was tamped down as she inclined her head. "Then we move on without him."

From anyone else, it would sound cruel and unwarranted. From Milla... Alvin's jaw jumped as he realized he saw her hiding her feelings, and he understood. He knew. He fucking was on the same wavelength as Maxwell and couldn't think of her as anything else other than a woman in pain trying to move on, using her mission as a shield against it... and he _supported_ her for it. When did he start caring for her too?

"Yeah." He even echoed the same tone as when he said it to Jude. "Let's get going."

* * *

Moments that were surreal: Fighting against Rashugal and Auj Oule soldiers at the same time while they were fighting each other. While Alvin was used to fighting one or the other while being on the other side, being on a third side was a completely different and weird experience. Good thing was they were scrubs. Nothing soldiers. Even without Jude they could take them out, no problem. Alvin swung his gun out, firing into a Rashugal soldier as his mind wandered to Jude. What in the world could the kid had read that made him think staying in Fennmont was such a good idea? It almost looked like he had been looking at research, reading up on an experiment that had gone wrong. Kid needed to get his head out of the journals and into the real world if he was ever-

Something smacked Alvin across the face, and his back hit the ground with enough force that his breath was driven from him. Damn. He had been thinking about how Jude needed to live in the real world and here he was, not paying attention to the battle in front of him. He willed his muscles to at least move, roll over so he wouldn't be in the way of the follow up, and didn't. Elize was chanting, but it would take too long for her to pull off a spell. Her or Leia. A short, breathy laugh puffed from his lips as Alvin tried again, his limbs still uncoordinated in the marshy land. So this was how it ended.

"Alvin!" His Lilium Orb trembled as it linked, and a small amount of strength flowed into him, enough that he was able to roll out of the way of a blow and stagger to his knees. A return swing of his sword made sure the Auj Oule Enforcer was never going to try that again, and he turned towards the voice he was certain he was hallucinating.

Jude finished the last enemy with a Demon Fist, making their linked Lilium Orbs resonate as he turned to the group, his hand raising to his hair in an embarrassed gesture. "Hey guys." Golden eyes linked with Alvin's for a brief moment, hesitating before Storm Leia swept in, her hands on her hips.

"What were you thinking, making us worry like that? What where you doing? You shouldn't have said you were staying behind then followed us anyway! How did you even get all the way over here without a booster?" With each question, she advanced on him until he was nearly bent backwards, his hands up to ward off her relieved anger.

"I'm sorry, Leia," came the murmur. "I just followed everyone else, making sure to step where they did. I realized... it was stupid of me, to just stop and be selfish like that when the world was in this kind of danger. I don't know if I can make a difference, but I'll never know unless I try." Jude took a step backwards, looking at everyone, his gaze lingering on Milla. Alvin felt his grip tighten at that before that burning gaze turned to him, making his throat dry out.

Milla only nodded at that, the relief obvious only to the two watching her closely. "It's good to have you back," was all she said, making Leia turn her displeasure on her. The only difference was that she did not care, now that she had Jude beside her again and they were so close to finishing her mission. Her lips quirked briefly before she turned away, a small distracted smile that was echoed for that same brief moment on Jude's face.

And for that moment, the blaze burned inside him higher than before.

* * *

The Kukhar Ice Caverns were just as cold as one would expect, though Alvin barely noticed as his arms moved, cutting down monsters with one and shooting them with the other. That wasn't part of the plan. What Gilland did... that was nothing like what he had been told. They were supposed to just go home. It was part of their _name_ for crying out loud, Exodus. This invasion force... the blaze within him jumped as a particularly vicious swipe knocked a Snow Bat out of the air for good. He heard Elize yelp in pain as another knocked her out of her chant and, without thinking about it, he linked their Lilium Orbs together as he took revenge on it. She started her chant again, chills running down his spine as he realized which spell it was. Not a healing spell, no, one of her disquieting dark elemental ones. Ones that made him wonder what thoughts went through her head that didn't get filtered through Teepo. As the monster lay dying from her spell, she held onto the damned flying thing and turned away from him with a huff, breaking the link.

She still couldn't forgive him. He felt his lips quirk humorlessly, not able to blame her. The way they had met her, and what she needed... he pretty much spat on that every time he betrayed them. And she was still so young, still saw the world in more severe shades of black and white than even Jude did. She couldn't understand what he had been trying to do, how his thoughts had changed as Maxwell turned into Milla, and now how he realized even he had been lied to. That everything he had lied about had been a lie itself. Alvin watched Elize march off, Teepo floating from her arms to slightly behind her, his heart heavy. The lie itself should be the only thing bothering him, not... not how it affected people like little Elize here, or spunky Leia, or calm Rowen...

Or the pillars, Jude and Milla. Alvin followed Elize, trying to make sure she didn't get in over her head. Even if she didn't trust him, he could keep her safe. It was all he had now, until they could find someone. Then, maybe, he could go after Gilland alone. They didn't need to trust him to take vengeance on that asshole. He could do it.

Just... he need to make sure Elize was okay.

There was a scuffling noise above, and the two of them tensed. Elympios soldiers? He stepped closer to her, keeping just far enough away so Teepo had room to move and attack too. There was soft murmuring, a female voice they didn't recognize and a young male voice. A... Elize gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as she turned to Alvin with hopeful eyes, her anger now forgotten as she came to the same conclusion. He placed a finger to his lips, reminding her to be cautious and she puffed her cheeks out at him, Teepo doing the same thing. Geez, that thing was creepy. But he crept up carefully behind the rock they heard the voices as the soldiers left the area... and draped his hand around Jude's mouth. "You're going to blow your cover like that," he murmured into his ear, noting with alarm the heat coming off Jude's skin and seeping through his glove. He hadn't even felt this hot on the ship when he had fainted for the first time. How the hell was he even still upright? The kid turned to glare at him, half coiled for a fight before he realized who it was.

Someone slid in beside Jude, not quite malicious but something about them made Alvin snap his head up. Dangerous. The vision he got was certainly a nice one, a lovely woman with long ears, green hair, and a calm smile. Nice body too. But he couldn't deny that something about her told him that she was not someone that he could take lightly. "Geez, Alvin," Jude said crossly, almost ignoring the woman by his side. "You scare me! Don't sneak up on people like that."

"Ah, you know I meant nothing by it." With practiced blitheness, he draped his arm over Jude's shoulder, ignoring that tempting line of throat and keeping most his weight off the kid just in case as he looked up at the woman. "So who's this vision of loveliness?" Who was... floating oh shit what had Jude gotten himself into?

"Oh. This is Muzét. She's... um... Milla's sister."

Alvin turned to look at him, surprise stabbing through him at the words as Muzét smiled, the feeling of threat starting to dwindle from her as apparently she figured they weren't going to attack Jude or her. "Oh ho! You'll have to explain this one."

* * *

Jude lasted longer than he expected.

For a kid that had been rained on, dumped into a river, sent to a frozen tundra, wandered around in unfamiliar territory with only an unknown spirit that claimed to be Milla's sister that was there to watch out for him, direct tethering to said spirit, and fought two nasty dragons, it wasn't until immediately after the battle that he fell to his knees, and passed out.

"Jude!" Elize ran over to him, tired lips chanting another healing spell. Muzét floated off to one side, her calm smiling mask still in place as Alvin followed after Elize, watching the spirit with a cautious eye. She hadn't been hostile, not in the least. She had even been helpful, especially since she had directly tethered with Jude and he could call upon her in a limited capability. But there was just something about her... "A-alvin, Jude's not..."

Quickly, he pulled off his glove, shooing her out of the way. "Move." Alvin pressed his bare hand to Jude's forehead, hissing. Kid was burning up! "Damn. He's sick again. We're going to have to stop here, rest. Elize, stay with him, see if you can do something. I'm going to get some water."

"And what would you like me to do?" Muzét tilted her head, her smile widening slightly. Alvin hesitated, looking at her. It was probably a bad idea. He was already burning up, so adding more heat would probably not be a good idea. But given they were literally in an ice cavern, it was probably doing more harm than good that he was in a cold environment. Maybe. Damn it, why was it that the medical student was sick?

"We need a fire," he told her. "A small one."

She closed her eyes as her hand moved, casting a small Efreet arte leaping from her as lips continued to curl in her smile. It leapt into a blaze near Jude and Elize, kept there without any twigs or other fuel. "Anything else?"

"Okay..." Alvin rubbed the back of his neck. "Just... also make sure no monsters are coming near. I'll be right back."

What else could they do? They had to get Jude out of the caverns, but it wasn't that easy. He didn't exactly trust Muzét to protect them without Jude. Elize was powerful, but she still relied on artes and she was still fragile. They needed to stay there until Jude's fever broke. Alvin dunked the waterskin as he thought, frowning. If they could rouse him a bit they could get him to drink some water, that might help get his fever down, then a washcloth on his forehead... maybe? Might help. When he came back, Elize's trembling hands lowered as another exhausted Pixie Circle was cast. Damn. And they didn't know when they would find another shop and be able to buy more Orange Gels. Alvin covered one of her hands, smiling down at her. "Hey, why don't you get some sleep? I'll watch over him."

"I'm okay," she insisted. "I'm-" And here she yawned, swaying slightly. Teepo floated around her, then up in Alvin's face, frowning at him.

"You better not be thinking about betraying us again." For a doll, it sure could be threatening. Then again, Alvin had seen how Elize used him in combat, so he just imagined Teepo draining him dry before she opened a Negative Gate under his feet. Not a pleasant experience.

"Whoa." Alvin glibly raised his hands, deflecting the hostility with one of his smiles. "No betraying happening here." He let his own mask drop slightly, allowing Elize to see the simmering anger towards his uncle for a brief moment. "Just get some rest. Muzét-" here, he looked over at the spirit blithely keeping watch- "should make sure everything's okay."

Elize looked at him, eyes too old for the young girl she was, then turned in an overblown huff. It wasn't easy, but she found a spot that was slightly warmer than the rest, and they had a blanket in their packs. With Muzét's fire, she would be kept warm. And speaking of things burning up... Alvin turned back to Jude, his eyes narrowing. Time to see if he could even rouse the kid. Carefully, he cradled him in his arms, shaking him slightly. "Hey. Hey kid. Hey, time to wake up. Got something for you." Jude only groaned and shifted in his arms, which was more than he had done earlier. Elize's efforts had done some good. Now to see if the non-mana lobe person could help it along. He kept at it until Jude's eyes cracked open, glassy gold looking up at him blearily. "About time. You've got to get some water ooookay..." Alvin trailed off as Jude wrapped his arms around his waist, burying his nose into his chest. What the hell? He shot a nervous glance at Elize and Muzét, but the former was fast asleep and the latter didn't seem engaged in what was happening. Alvin pushed his hair back from his face as he thought, letting the sick Jude snuggle into him. This was awkward.

Which only got more so when Jude leaned up, burning breath against his throat. "Hey. Any other time I'd be more than willing but you're pretty sick right now," Alvin started as the breath was followed by blazing lips and tongue, his own voice stuttering and strangling at the feeling. Fuck. He had thought about this countless times before. Once, how he'd drive Jude out of his mind with pleasure so he'd turn him from Milla's side. Then just wondering how he'd look writhing, cock in his mouth or on his hands and knees, Alvin driving into him... but not like this. Not with this kind of audience and the kid so sick he probably literally did not know what he was doing. The tongue traced a line across the pulse in his neck and he shuddered, suddenly holding onto Jude as the sensation raced through him. "And that's enough for- ow!"

The kid bit him! He could feel a shiver racing through Jude as he reached up, pushing him off. "The hell is your problem, kid?!"

Jude looked up at him, golden eyes far more focused than before, his mouth stained red with beads of blood before he glanced away. A pink tongue flicked out, absently wetting his lips while cleaning away the blood that rested there and something was very, very wrong. Alvin slapped a hand to his neck, only to pull it away and look down at the red staining the fingers. "I'll heal it," came the muted voice, quiet. "And I'll explain. Just... don't tell anyone. Please, Alvin."

All he could do was look down at the kid with shock, lowering his hand as Jude silently healed the small bite on his neck, hissing as warm fingers brushed the wound. "What kind of explanation do you even have, kid?"

For a moment, he hesitated, then curled his fingers as he withdrew his hand, still sitting on top of Alvin. "I should have stayed in Fennmont," Jude started, both his hands on his lap. "The night clime, it... it wasn't making the burn worse. I didn't-" He stopped, inhaling. "I didn't know until we left Fennmont that something was wrong. Sun and exertion make it worse. It's like... burning up from within. If I'm awake at night or if I... I..." He stumbled over the words, not quite having made the peace with it.

"You what? What were you doing, drinking my blood?"

Jude winced at the harsh words, then nodded. "It makes the burn go away, at least for a little bit."

All those times he woke feeling ill with a sore neck, or Elize's paler than normal face, or that one time he caught Jude on top of Rowen flashed through his mind, and Alvin stood suddenly, making Jude tumble suddenly to the ground. "So is that all we are to you?" he ground out. "An all you-can-eat buffet line?"

"Alvin!" Jude looked up at him, embarrassed color high on his cheeks. "It wasn't always like this, you know! I didn't know what was going on! And if I could stop it I would have." He pulled in on himself, gold eyes unfocused slightly. "It was an experiment," came his distant voice. "I didn't even know that's what that was. They were experimenting on us, seeing if they could enhance our abilities. Most of us have already burned up from within even with Fennmont's night clime. And the sad thing?" A soft laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head. "It didn't even _work._"

Jude entire body language screamed miserable. He wasn't the only one, but one that managed to live, somehow. How many others were there that were still alive? Not only that, but how many of those others were actually in a state that they could think like Jude was right now? "So what made you special?"

"I don't know." His voice was small as he curled up more. "I think... I had found the file that had my records when you came to get me. They were trying something different, but it failed in what they wanted to do even more than everything else. I'm just a normal kid otherwise. I didn't even know that's what Professor Haus's colleagues were doing when..." He took a deep breath, his fists clenching. "I understand if you want to leave now. I'll... go with Muzét."

Take Elize with him, keep her safe from him. The implication broke through, and Alvin looked down at him, his lips pressed tightly together. A small memory niggled at him, reminding him that when he had felt that slight cruddy feeling, Jude had looked about ready to pass out again the day before. When he had caught him on Rowen, Jude had been the palest he had ever been. The kid was pushing himself to his literal limit, and if all they felt was a little run down, he was probably taking just enough to make it another day. "Does Milla know?" he finally asked, pushing the words out.

"No." Jude shook his head. "You're... I was kind of hoping to find a cure. That I didn't have to tell anyone."

Alvin pushed his hair back from his forehead, closing one eye as he looked down at the kid. Kind of put things into perspective when he thought of it like that. Jude looking everywhere they went for why he was burning up, feeling sick... and why the taste of blood was the only thing that helped it. The kid looking everywhere when they had free time for a cure. Even being willing to stay behind and away from Milla fucking Maxwell. He didn't think anything would have done that. Pretty much, yeah, he had it right the first time. The kid was sick, and it wasn't getting any better. Finally, he sat down next to him, leaning back slightly. "Well, get some rest. We aren't getting anything done by whining about this."

"Alvin?" Ever so slightly, Jude uncurled, looking at him blankly. Alvin grinned at him, and deliberately tossed an arm around his shoulder. "Hey!"

"Don't frown like that; makes you look older than me. And get some rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow." He winked, and realization filled Jude's eyes. A small smile crossed his lips, and he nodded, moving to lie down and get some rest. It was probably for the best, for the kid to be unconscious for a while. Alvin knew he wasn't going to be getting any rest for a while, not while he could press two fingers against a healed throat and feel the slight pain where Jude bit into it. Was it really worth it, to just let this slide? Jude had forgiven so much of his own betrayals, rolled with it, pretending they were just in the past. And the kid was certainly sick, in need of a cure for this. But maybe the best cure was-

No. Alvin looked up at the caverns ceiling, sighing. He couldn't think that way. It was sad... but this was all he had right now. He couldn't fuck it up.

"Shouldn't you get some rest too?" Muzèt's sweet voice cut through his thoughts, making him jump as he turned to her.

"Nah. I'm good." He lifted two fingers in a salute, and she merely smiled at him, causing a chill that had nothing to do with the ice around them.

"If you say so," came her calm response, leaving him to stare at her unnatural blaze, thoughts jumping around his head as much as the flames.

* * *

"Is he dead now?"

Elize's voice swept past him as Alvin knelt by Gilland's body, his fingers still chilled from Celsius's blasts. Rowen's response meant nothing. They had won against him. They had killed him, stopped his plan. Precious Rieze Maxia would be safe, and Elympios would inch ever closer to destruction. Something he said, though, something about the spyrites... What were they, exactly? Without paying attention to Milla, he took the gun, murmuring to himself, "Well, I'll be taking this back." Then, the child within him stirring, he reached out and closed Gilland's eyes. "Gilandor Yul Svent. Goodbye, Uncle."

_You asshole._

Gaius and the Chimeriad... It almost didn't matter anymore. They were going to destroy the Lance of Kresnik, keep the schism in place, and he'd never go home. What was Elympios even like now? Was it even more barren than his childhood memories? Woodenly, he watched Milla step over to the console, and- his breath caught as the four elements leapt around her, resolving into the form of Efreet, Undine, Sylph, and Gnome. A feral beauty suffused her features as she greeted them, stepping closer and moving her hand command the Four to destroy the Lance. He couldn't stop her if he wanted to, if he thought it would bring prosperity to his world and allow him to go back home. Anticipation leapt burned in blazes in his veins as his mouth opened slightly. This was it-

And then the ESS Zenethra shook, making all of them look around. Some unknown force slammed his nose to the ground, and he could barely hear the others cry out around him. _Damn you, Gilland,_ he thought, gritting his teeth as he tried to raise his head at Gaius's attempt to stand. Whatever arte this was... damn it. It was going to flatten them.

"Use the Lance of Kresnik!" Jude's voice, distant through the arte, reached him. "It has the power to dispel artes."

Alvin turned his head slightly to glare at him. Crazy bloodsucking kid, what was he- he was right. But how? He could hear someone say to pour mana into the Lance, someone else criticize it for giving that thing power... if he could just stand right now he could pay more attention!

Suddenly Milla's voice, clear as day.

"There's no need for everyone to risk their lives."

What.

Alvin's head snapped up, eyes wide. "No, don't do this!" he could hear Jude screaming, the pain raw in his voice, and there was nothing he could do. He pushed himself up slightly, and fell right back down. If he could even get up, he would stop her right now. This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen! This wasn't the way this was supposed to end! He could feel Jude get up, then fall right back down. He was probably burning up after that fight, and still struggling to fight more. To save her.

"With the schism gone, Exodus's plan will come to an end." She turned slightly, looking at Alvin. Not even now could he call Milla Maxwell cold. Her entire being screamed for him to tell her she was right. She just wanted this to be over, for there to be peace. For him to be happy too.

_Damn you too, Maxwell._

He could feel his hand reach out, grabbing Jude's arm. Even through the glove and cloth, he could feel the kid burning up. "Don't," he told him as he felt the last bit of strength break under his fingers.

"It'll be okay," came Milla's voice, so full of bravado it couldn't ring more false if she wanted it to. Alvin looked up, seeing her unconsciously hold her stomach protectively. She had always positioned her limbs in powerful ways. Seeing an anxious, unsure gesture from her... crimson eyes held steady on golden as she smiled, being the most human she had ever been. "Farewell, Jude."

With those words, she turned back towards the Lance, and activated it, pouring her and the Four's mana into it. For a moment, vision was obscured by white light, and then... stillness. Alvin coughed as dust stirred, and he felt Jude pull his arm free from his grasp. But they both could move, which meant it worked. But-

Milla.

She was still standing there, just as she had when she activated the Lance. In that moment, Alvin thought she was going to turn around. That she was going to have that grin on her face when things go her way, and they were going to return triumphant. It was how it was supposed to happen. And with the holes in the schism, and Milla now aware of it, couldn't that mean he could go home at some point? And they could figure out how to save Elympios?

But then she fell, her strings cut as her still body crumpled onto the ruined floor of the ESS Zenethra.


End file.
